Cato, my friend
by Galala
Summary: District 2's reaping and the Hunger Games from the point of view of Cato's childhood friend, Cato X OC  Some light Guy love.
1. Chapter 1

Have mercy, I wrote this in literally 30 minutes. The whole story jumped into my head last night and I just had to write this.

I own everything and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 1

There we were, all the male tributes from district two were lined up so pretty and neat, all of us dressed properly for the great occasion, the reaping. I was lined up in the 17-18 year old bracket in the district courtyard with the female tributes across from us. I could see across to the girls that some were crying already, some were standing firm trying to hold back their secret fears and there were some standing proudly, almost wanting to be called.

Clove, I never liked that girl, she stood with a defiance and confidence of a wolf chasing a rabbit. She was always abnormally aggressive, but all pre-trained tributes are...just like Cato.

I looked down our line to see the males faces, they were much like the girls, some scared some strong and one stood anxious and ready, ready to jump at the chance to prove himself worth of all the training, time and money spent on him, Cato, my friend.

The order went, myself, Dahi, Marquis, Aveil, Jessup and Cato at the head of the line, but even from my place I could see Cato's fingers twitching, his breath speeding up and his smile slowly forming while the escort for district 2 came to the podium. He was a tall thin man by the name of Talmud, who would spend inordinate amounts of time talking about the glory of The Games and the power of the Capitol. Cato was getting too jittery and I whispered to him from down the line. He looked back at me and smiled that Cato smile, something between genuine happiness and bloodthirsty satisfaction. He had told me earlier that I shouldn't worry, because no matter who was picked he would be the first to volunteer, I guess that's why he was so antsy, and why I felt so sad...

Eventually Talmud finished his speech and announced the female selections, he drew the first name and called out Clove. She instantly stood at attention and beamed while she strolled up to the podium and took her place next to Talmud. Cato could not seem to contain himself and kept looking back at me half smiling and half frowning, Cato had always had an odd way of expressing his joy, but whatever. As Talmud reached into he bowl I tensed up and Cato stopped looking back at me.

Talmud opened the paper and smiled as he announced. "**Errol Sinclair!**" I stopped and everything seemed to slow almost to a stop, I could see out of the corner of my eye Cato looking back in horror. Talmud had called my name.


	2. Chapter 2 Snake

Part 2, Hope you enjoy

I own everything and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 2

I stood, unable to move, unable to think or react. Eventually the Peacekeepers were summoned because of my slowness, as they reached me I felt like I was the smallest and most helpless of children, not the 17 year old Courier who could run over 200 messages a day, and these two men were the largest and most malicious of beast coming to eat me alive. I immediately looked to Cato, pleading with my eyes for Cato to save me, to help me as he always did.

"Cato.." I managed to whimper as I was grabbed by the arm and forced to move to the stage. Even as I moved towards the stage I looked at Cato and tried to remember what he had told me, not to worry, not to fear, because he would always be there to protect me.

_-Cato's View-_

"_Errol?_" That's all that ran through my head as his name was called and the peacekeepers took him to the stage. He looked back at me with fear filled eyes, I could hear his pleading screams for me to save him, even though he didn't say a word, but I couldn't bring myself to move. I couldn't remember that I was trained all my life for this moment, I couldn't remember that I was supposed to the tribute no matter who was picked, and I couldn't remember that I was supposed to be a coldblooded killer, all I could seem to remember was my promise to Errol, how I was supposed to always protect him.

"I..I volunteer." I said with hardly any volume, the boys around me started whispering after hearing me. "I Volunteer! **I Volunteer!**" I screamed out and ran towards Errol and the guards. I forced their hands off him and stood in from of Talmud's podium. "I volunteer as Tribute." Talmud smiled and waved off the guards. I turned towards Errol who was trembling uncontrollably, "_Go back!_" I whispered and gave him a push back towards the line. He ran back glancing at me every few steps. I waved him back as I took my place next to Clove on the stage.

Talmud announced the two tributes and presented us to the sounds of great applaud. Things were different in District Two, being a tribute was the greatest of honors, but as I looked over the sea of people I saw Errol moving back through the crowd, he was leaving, head back to me, he was leaving the square, not applauding, not crying but moving almost like a snake thought the crown finally disappearing back into the town.

He didn't say thank you, he didn't say good luck or please don't go, he disappeared. Just like he always does. Just like a snake, Errol, my friend.

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><p>Well...Do you guys think I should keep going?<p> 


	3. Chapter 3 Messanger

Just keep going and going with the story

I own everything and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 3

I feel like people should understand a few things before we go on. A few things about Cato and I. My father and most of my family had been Courier's, strong long legged men and women who could run and jump through the buildings of District two in minutes. I had met Cato on my first assignment with my father, we were delivering messages between the guard posts between the forest outcropping and the city square. It was a long run but my father was able to move like a bird almost flying down the streets and scaling the tall fences and walls like a squirrel, I however quickly fell behind and got lost somewhere behind the blacksmith shop.

I headed around the back of the shop to look for where my father had gone but all I found was a small family, a mother and father and a young blond haired boy with his arms crossed and a nasty disposition. They were talking to the blacksmith, something about sword training, when I came too close and the boy spotted me out of the corner of his eye. "Hey!" He turned quickly and pointed at me. **"Who the hell are you?"** He shouted drawing the attention of the adults. I stumbled back and tripped on a piece of scrap metal. "This seems like a good a time as any." I could over hear the father saying.

"Cato, catch the boy and force him to tell you what he's doing here." Cato narrowed his eyes and got into a running position, **"Yes sir."** His father snapped his fingers and Cato took off in a bolt. My eyes widened in fear and I quickly got back up and ran from the shop.

I started back down the streets near the iron works and ran as fast as I could past the searing heat coming from the factories. I could still hear the fast patter of feet coming up behind me. Slowly my instinct as a messenger took over and I began moving swiftly,

I slunk from building to building hopping fences in a single jump and moving under and between walls like I was made of water. The sound of Cato'e feet following after me eventually disappeared after a few minutes of quick maneuvering. As I slowed I walked behind was looked like a small market and thought I had finally lost my insane captor.

But as I walked near an alley way I heard the patter of feet quickly coming up behind me, as I turned around to look, Cato had lunged at me and forced us both to the ground in an incredibly hard thud. Cato turned me on my back and held my arms in a very painful hold.

Through his heavy breathing I could hear him say, "I got you!" I tried to wriggle out of his hold but he kept a surprisingly firm grip for someone of his age. "What were you doing spying on me?" Cato almost screamed in my ear, "Nothing! I had gotten lost on a delivery, I didn't mean to spy or interrupt you!" I kept trying to get away but Cato kept a firm hold on me. "You're lying!" He twisted my arm in one of the most horrible ways imaginable and I screamed in pain. **"I'm not lying! Please! Check my bag, I am a messenger!"** Cato looked at my waist and saw a red leather bag, everyone knew these were the bags of messengers and only messengers could own them, or borrow them, the bags were made of extremely fine material and any attempts to steal them were punishable by death.

Cato seemed satisfied by the proof and let me go, I got up slowly and rubbed my extremely sore arms. "That was mean..." I said still licking my wombs. Cato came close to my face. "Man up you little baby, the worlds full of pain." Cato was unusually close to my face and stared me down. "How did you do..that jumping thing?" I looked at him confused. "Jumping thing?" I answered.

"When you were running I saw you jumping and sliding and moving crazy fast, tell me how you did that!" He said forcing me back even further. I could see in his eyes a genuine confusion, like no one had ever outperformed him or exceeded his grasp. He seemed so perplexed as to how a skinny somewhat dirty messenger boy could evade him for so long. "I was taught...I guess...I'm a messenger, we have to be fast and agile...to get things to people quickly." I was only able to chirp out a response but Cato backed away and held out his hand.

"My names Cato." He said in a strong yet calm voice. "I'm Errol." I said back. I offered my hand back and he grabbed it hard and pulled me close. "Hi Errol, sorry but, you're mine now!"

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><p>Tell me what you think, really tell me. Unless you think something bad then...don't tell me<p> 


	4. Chapter 4 Home

Sad...takes place immediately after the District 2 reaping.

I own nothing and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 4

It was the visiting hour, the small amount of time between being selected as tribute and boarding the train for the Capitol. They placed me in a tall sparsely decorated room with one extremely large window going from floor to roof at the end of the room. I looked out the window to see almost all of district two below me. Sprawled out in a maze of buildings and shops, I had seen it all before, but from a better view. Errol had shown me how to climb to the top of the station tower, it was the highest place in District two. We climbed there after my training and his deliveries, we had lunch and I gave Errol a piece of Lemon cake, which I knew was his favorite. He ate it quickly and laughed while he did it.

It then occurred to me what kind of person Errol was. Kind, energetic and to an extent, brave, but he was weak, a weak fragile thing who's only real method of survival was his ability to run quickly and jump with incredible agility. But somewhere in the bottom of my gut their was an odd feeling, it just kept making me think, _"What would he be like as an opponent in the Hunger Games?"_ I laughed inwardly at the thought, but as I looked at him staring over the city, with lemon cake crumbs on his messenger scarf, part of me never wanted to find out what Errol was like in the games.

Mom and Dad visited first, they were so proud, mom told me the best methods of controlling the weaker Tributes and making them do my dirty work, just to stab them in the back when they had served their purpose. Dad when on for a few minutes about how to make the deadliest cut with a knife, sword, spear and other weapons we had trained with over the years. The three of us planned for as long as we could before their time was up.

A few of my friends from class visited me, they all told me to win and make those lesser tributes suffer for daring to be in a game against me, as if they had a choice. Eventually time ran down and it was my last twenty minutes. As the last of my family and friends left the room Errol walked in. Errol was always my guilty pleasure. My family didn't really know about him and my school friends picked on him constantly, but as he walked in, so shy and so out of place I was happy to see him. He walked past my family and took a seat next to me on the couch.

"Aren't you happy for me?" I asked with a crooked grin. Errol only looked up at me. "Cato, please don't die." He said in almost a whisper.

This was almost too much. **"The hell are you talking about?"** I stood in front of him, my hulking frame almost completely overshadowing his. "The champion never dies!" I was fuming at the thought, of all the people I expected to believe in me I always thought Errol was one. I had saved him from danger countless times, but he still didn't think I was strong enough to win the games? "Calm down Cato, I don't mean it the way you think. Please sit down." I sat slowly, Errol was being unusually direct today, he never told me what to do.

_-Errol's View-_

When Cato finally sat down I continued. "We've all seen the game Cato, the evil and destruction the Hunger Games causes. People...good people, forced to fight for their lives only to be picked off like animals!" I balled my fist and welled up.

"Please don't be that!" I pleaded to him. **"Don't be a killer who treats life like a contest, those other tributes are people too. Full of lives and passion for the ones they love!" At this point I was crying, but I continued with tears streaming down my face. "I don't want the Cato that I know to die! The Cato who protects me and makes me happy, the Cato who took me to a field of flowers, because he knew I loved them! The Cato who protected me from the bullies and saved my from falling to me death. The Cato..."** I sniffled, still having troubled getting the rest of my words out. "The Cato who said he would always be there to protect me...The Cato I love..." I had said it, because I knew I might never have another chance to say it. "So please...please don't let that Cato die..." I finished and tried wiping the tears away, but my face burned at my eyes were stinging red.

I didn't look at Cato, I couldn't, but I felt him grab my shoulder and he pulled me closer. He grabbed his shirt and started drying off my face. It was something that Cato had always done for me when we were kids, and a few times in the more recent years. It always cheered me up because when he was using his shirt to wipe my face he exposed his stomach, and seeing it always made me smile inwardly. After he finished he lifted my face up and forced me to look in his eyes, and he spoke with the calmness and force of the sun itself, _"Like I said...the champion never dies."_ He pulled me into an embrace. It was so warm, full of the compassion and mercy I knew few people were afforded from Cato. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed out a few more tears. We stayed like this until the sound of a throat clearing alerted us to Talmud's presence.

"Time to depart." Talmud said before leaving the room. Cato let me go and wiped my face one last time. He looked down at me and said the last words I would ever hear face to face with him. _"I'll be home soon."_ With that I stood and walked out with Cato as far as I could. I kept crying as Cato disappeared behind the doors with Talmud, and like a fantasy he was gone.

I'd wished I'd said more, but our time was short, but as he walked with Talmud past the doors I saw him pull up his tear stained shirt up to his own eyes and quickly wipe away tears that would blend with mine.


	5. Chapter 5 The One who Burned the World

We continue on our journey my faithful readers...all one of you...

I own nothing and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 5

My father and I sat around the television to watch the opening ceremonies of the Hunger Games. Cato had left a few days ago and today he and Clove would parade down the Capitol promenade. Cato would be second to walk after the district one couple. As the tributes started walking I immediately spotted Cato and Clove coming out of their carriage. My eyes immediately fixed on him, he was wearing a dark leather robe with a blood red Shaw that pooled around his feet, it had a sheen to it that belayed a terrible strength. It seemed simple but if anyone knew Cato well, they knew that, that outfit spoke volumes about him.

Tributes filed out two by two but I kept my eyes fixed on Cato, but as the last of the tributes came into the parade the crowd started cheering even louder. "Wow, look at them." My dads statement drew me from Cato to the tributes from district 12. They were on fire, literally on fire! The news cameras flocked around them completely ignoring the other tributes. _"Katniss Everdeen?"_ I thought to myself. My eyes widened as I kept watching her, the news reporters were calling her, _The Girl on Fire_, but when I looked in those eyes and the way she balled her fist in her partners hand I couldn't help but think of her as,_ Katniss Everdeen, The One who will Burn the World._

Eventually the cameras panned back out to show all the tributes, and I could see Cato fuming from being ignored, and Clove seemed none too happy herself. I couldn't help but laugh at Cato's childishness, he had always been like this, whenever someone received more attention or praise than him he always became extremely angry. After the opening ceremonies their would be the interviews, all the tributes would be able to speak to the Capitols biggest TV personality. I wanted to see what Cato would say, I wanted to see what Cato he would present to the world, and see if my friend, my Cato would survive even past the interviews.

Luckily for me I didn't have to wait long for the interviews to start, first was a boy named Marvel. He was tall and strong like Cato but lacked his killer instinct, but his calmness betrayed a hidden intellect, I knew Cato would have trouble dealing with him later. Next was a girl named Glimmer, she too would be a handful for Cato. As I watched them, even Clove, I started making a mental list of all their traits and compared them to Cato's, I wondered how they would fair against him and vice versa. Finally Cato strolled onto Caesar Flickerman's stage wearing a black leather suit that made him look especially dangerous, like he was the worlds smoothest and deadliest Hit-man.

When Cato sat down Caesar started with his questions, who are you? Tell us about yourself? What was the reaping like? All questions Cato answered in a direct yet composed way. Cato would occasionally smirk like a snake when answering a question, and look into the audience with his head turned. This all gave the idea of an incredibly strong confident man, and I'll admit, for just the briefest of moments I had no doubts that Cato could win the entire Hunger Games. "Tell me Cato, you saved a boy your age from the reaping, and I hear you're very close friends with him," Caesar said smiling. Cato seemed shocked that Caesar knew of our friendship, even I was, but it seemed that Caesar could get the dirt on just about anyone.

_"Well..."_ Cato said in a half chuckle, "His names Errol, just a good friend." Caesar seemed somewhat satisfied with the answer, but continued anyway. "So, did you say anything to him?" Caesar asked again. Cato looked at his hands folded in his lap. He moved his head up and looked straight into the camera in front of him, and for a moment if felt like he was looking just at me, not the whole Capitol or Panem, but just me. He laughed again as he said aloud. _"The Champion, never dies."_ Caesar immediately started laughing and clapping and the audience started cheering for Cato.

"Wow, Cato really did make them take notice." My dad said from the couch. I looked at Cato still smiling from the applause and love he was receiving. "Yes, he certainly did." I said turning off the TV.


	6. Chapter 6 Angel

Hey guys I just saw the Hunger Games and OMG!

Not to geek out like a crazed fan boy but Alexander Ludwig as Cato? Hot hot hot sex on a stick. It was nice

I own nothing and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 6

_-Errol's View-_

It was about a year after I met Cato when we really started to get to know each other. It started with him following me while I would make deliveries. I would wiz past his house dropping off a package to see him in his back yard swinging a sword and hacking a test dummy to pieces. As soon as he saw me the game began, I didn't like the game. It involved Cato chasing me all over town trying to tackle me to the ground like he did when we first met. During our first meeting he told me I was going to teach me how to move like a messenger, but I told him I couldn't. He didn't take this well and started chasing me every chance he got. I guess in his head if he could catch a messenger he would be able to move like one, more preparations for the games.

However, I had to admit Cato was getting better the more he chased me. I would jump over tall fences and shimmy up pipes and I would wait to see what he would do next to follow me. First he would look up at me, trying to figure out how I did it, then he would observe the area, seeing exactly what I used to get to my position. Finally he would put thought into action and scale a wall or fly down a building like he had been doing all his life. At first it would take him over twenty minutes to catch me, but the longer he chased and observed me the faster he got. Soon he was pinning me to the ground in under a minuet, but it was something of a lie on my part. I'm a very fast messenger but I had always slowed myself down to see Cato. Part of me always wanted him to catch me.

As the years went by Cato and I became close. That's when I started noticing Cato's hidden side, a gentle, happy side to Cato that years of intense training couldn't destroy.

He was calm and sweet. It was a side to himself that no one else in district 2 could bring out of him. He would pretend he didn't notice when he acted differently, but we both knew this was a side of himself he would never show to anyone else.

I remember that day on the station roof, sitting together talking like it was normal. For some reason, watching Cato on the roof, with the sunrise coming up behind his head, some impulse drove me to open my mouth and sing. It was an old song from long ago that I had stumbled upon in my deliveries. _**"I only dreamed it!"**_ I blurted out, Cato immediately looked at me with a sort of, _"What the hell are you doing?"_ vibe to it, but I went on anyway. "_**The heavens schemed it! The angels brought me you!"**_ I fell on my back belting out the last note before I stopped. I looked over at Cato sitting staring at me. He didn't look mad, no Cato wore that expression like a nail through the head, but more of confusion astonishment and...what looked like amusement.

Cato leaned back and we were both looking up at the morning sky. "Angels?" He asked looking at me. "Yep." I answered staring straight ahead. "Its weird...you know?" He said grinding the roof tiles with his fingers, something he did when he was nervous. "I think the angels brought me something too." He said it with no insecurity, with no reservations or doubts. He smiled at me when I finally looked at him.

In retrospect I knew it meant less to Cato than it did me, but we both knew their was a magnanimity to it all. A sense that things just wouldn't be the same if our friendship was to end, but all relationships end.

I just never thought ours could.

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><p>So I have a crazy idea, what about a story with Errol and Cato in the arena, both in the games? Let me know in the reviews.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7 Serene

Oh lord, I hate when I feel things, but I hope you feel something too while reading.

I own nothing and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 7

_-Cato's view-_

I ran my sword straight through his gut, and a feeling of incredible satisfaction overpowered me. To see that nameless tribute writhing on the ground before his twitching gave way to stillness made me feel powerful, so fucking powerful. The elation of the kill is something that is inside me, and will always be inside me. I'm a killer and a good one. To Errol I may have been...kinder, but these nameless fucks are just sheep for the slaughter, and I have no regrets or doubts about killing them. I remember what Errol told me about keeping my "_Real_," self alive, but what he doesn't understand is that this is who I am. The kindness I show him is a part of me, but so is my vicious nature, and right now that nature will keep me alive, and make me a winner.

_-Errol's view-_

I turn off the TV after Cato's latest kill, I just don't have the stomach to watch. He was just a kid, the tribute Cato killed, a kid with eyes full of fear, pleading for mercy, just like mine were at the reaping. The Cato I knew isn't in the Hunger Games, I should have known he wouldn't, but I don't blame Cato for it, in the games humanity wont keep you alive long. I kept thinking that the Cato I love is still alive, somewhere sleeping within the blood thirsty warrior that is in the games.

With Cato gone there's no one to protect me at school. So I just stop going, I dedicate myself to the messengers service full time, and eventually I earn my right to call myself a true messenger. On the last hour of my deliveries I see someone coming up from behind me. It's Reed, my only friend in the delivery service. "The games are down to the last three tributes, the two from district 12 and Cato!" He says out of breath, apparently he's been running hard to find all the messengers to tell them. I immediately start running for my house and forget my deliveries. "Hey we were going to watch it at the Mail hall!" I hear Reed call out, but I ignore him and make it home while dads out and I flip on the TV.

Then I see it, I see the wolfs chasing them to the cornucopia, the blood flying from the beasts and Cato. He's fighting them with his sword, while the other tributes stand on the cornucopia. He's losing, he's losing, he's going to die. I look at the tributes staring down from their perch. Why wont they help him, save him, they wont save him, the man I love, and I watch and they watch and all of Panem watch as Cato is taken down and feasted on by these evil creatures, but he wont die, he's got on armor that protects him, so it's slow, and furious. Eventually the creatures are called back when they don't see Cato as a threat. Cato rises, but he shouldn't be able too, he's moving like a ghost, like a shell, and I realize who is on screen now.

Its not Cato the warrior, its my Cato walking, broken and nearly dead. I can see it on his face, the almost serene look. He walks to the wall of the cornucopia and falls, but manages to prop himself up and rest on the wall. The female tribute walks down, Katniss, the one who will burn the world. She mounts an arrow while Cato can scratchily be heard saying, "_Please_." I scream for someone to stop her, for someone to save Cato, my Cato who is dying. She pulls back her arrow as Cato reaches out a hand. "_**PLEASE GOD NO!**_" I scream when she releases her arrow and strikes Cato through the head.


	8. Chapter 8 My Friend

At the end of the Games, Cato's last moments. And hopefully this is where this chapters going to stay.

I own everything and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 8

_-Cato's View-_

I hobbled back to where I thought the Cornucopia was, or was it? I cant remember where I was supposed to go, I can't remember what I was supposed to be doing, but that glowing sunrise seemed to be guiding me, it felt warm and serene, so I moved towards it as fast as my broken and torn legs could take me. I lifted my hands to wipe away some blood from my eyes, but I realized my left hand was gone...Did I always have a left hand, was it ever there, and if it was there at some point where had it gone?

I remember wolfs...or something looking like wolfs. I fought them, I guess I won...if this is called winning. My body seemed weightless, like my broken bones and torn muscles no longer played a part in moving my body, but it seemed so peaceful now.

As the morning light began to grow brighter and warmer I realized that I was dying, my body was at the bottom of the Cornucopia fading away. In the last minutes of my life I wondered if any sort of god or heaven would take me. I hoped that this god would be merciful and forgiving, a trait I never showed anyone...well almost no one, and that's when I thought of him. That's when my thoughts drifted back to that messenger boy...what was his name? The skinny one...with tan skin and wavy black hair, what was his name?

I remember his red bag, and his red scarf. I remember the flower field past the outcropping where there was flowers I knew he loved. I remember the day I took a bottle of whiskey from my fathers study and shared a sip with him...I remember the two of us throwing it back up. I can remember the way we would dig up holes in my back yard and bury our toys and notes to ourselves, and three years later we would dig them up and laugh at how much we had changed. I laughed at myself, before the games we had buried one last capsule of things we'd liked, guess my friend...what was his name...whoever he was, he would have to look at those memories by himself.

I found it odd that I wasn't thinking of mom or dad, or Clove or anyone else but Errol...Errol? Was that his name? Yes, it must have been Errol, I cant stop from smiling whenever I think of it.

I wanted to see him, Errol, my friend.

I wanted to tell him that I really did love him, not in the way of a lover...or a brother or anything in between, but in the way that one loves another whom he simply cannot do without. That is how I loved Errol, and that is why I wanted to see him. I wanted to run around the city trying to catch him again, I wanted to see him go red whenever I undressed in front of him, I wanted to take him to the flower field so I could see him brighten like the sun. I wanted my best friend, Errol.

"Please..." I begged to anyone. _"Please let me see him."_ I told myself. _"Let me see my friend, who loves flowers and games."_ I asked myself once again. "Please..." I spoke aloud. I imagined all the things we would do if I could see him again, so please, someone let me see him again.

I saw someone coming towards me, like a shadow, like a ghost. "Please..." I lifted my hand begging this person to let me see Errol. _"Let me tell him I love him, let me say all the things I should have years ago!"_ I yelled to myself. I reached out a hand to this merciful figure. "Please..." as the figure drew back its arm with what looked like a bow my body shook with an enormous piercing force, and all at once the sunlight finally overtook every one of my senses and I felt my body begin to vanish under my feet.

Goodbye my Love.

Goodbye my Messenger.

Goodbye Errol.

Goodbye, my friend.

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><p>For those who didn't know, the morning light was death...or heaven. Whichever...<p>

one last chapter.


	9. Chapter 9 Red Heart

Alright, we're done. For now. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

I own all things and please enjoy. Comments and reviews in the doobly-do.

-Love Galala

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><p>Cato, my friend<p>

Part 9

_-Errol's View-_

It had been a few months since the Hunger Games, and a few months since Cato was killed. I can remember it too clearly, with such horrifying detail I still wake up shouting his name, and begging for someone to save him. I didn't get to say goodbye, that's what scared me, all I did was cry. I sometimes think that if I had been stronger maybe he would have been too, but I don't waste much time thinking about it. When Cato was killed and the sound of the cannon confirmed his death everything around me crumbled, I screamed and sobbed loud enough to shake all of district 2. I wanted them to hear, I wanted the world to know what it had taken from me, they had taken Cato, they had taken one of the few things I had cherished.

The depression of losing someone you love isn't like a numbness, its not something that takes ones life away and leaves them empty, it is a pain, an awful searing pain that burns the body to the point of death. All my anguish and despair burned my soul, my body was in so much pain to move or to speak caused even more pain. That's what the despair was, that's what it felt like to have Cato ripped away from me. I prayed for numbness, to feel nothing and become still forever, but to picture him, to see Cato in my heart lit the volatile mix of emotions inside of me, and the pain destroyed me repeatedly.

This cycle of pain and healing and destruction continued for about a month, probably longer, but it ended, it ended quietly and without warning as Cato himself. He was just sitting there, at the foot of my bed. In a wine colored shirt that hugged him in all the right places, and white jeans. He had never looked so good, not just appearance wise but he seemed so peaceful, he was smiling like I had never seen before, it was like joy embodied.

"_Hey_." He said turning towards me. He move from his position at the foot of the bed and shimmied next to me. "Hey." I said wiping some dried tears from my face. He laid next to me and put his arms behind his head. "Am I insane or something?" I asked him. He looked at me and inspected me for a few seconds. "_Well, you're not as sane as I would have hoped. Whats wrong with you?_" He said with a disappointed look on his face. I just kept looking at him, he looked so real, I wanted to touch him, to see if he was nothing but a dream, but I feared touching him would make him disappear. "You...you died. I didn't take it very well." He just kept looking at me and I did the same. "_Get up._" He said. I didn't move, I just kept looking at him. "I cant." I whispered. "_Get up Errol!_" He yelled. He rose from the bed and stood in the middle of my room. "_Get up I said!_" He barked again. I finally got up, for the first time in a long time, I got up and looked at him.

"Get you're scarf. We're going." He moved through my open window and motioned me to follow him. I grabbed my scarf and didn't bother to put on shoes. The sunlight blinded my eyes and I saw it was noon. Cato jumped to the next building across from us and stood waiting for me. I tried to follow him but it took me a while, seems like I had been sitting still for too long. Eventually I got the hang of moving again and started to follow him. We raced like old times, jumping, running, feeling the warm sunlight on me again, I looked ahead and saw Cato leading me all around the city. We came to a tall building and Cato immediately started climbing it like a pro, faster than I had ever seen him and faster than I could ever go. It was like he was climbing straight into the sunlight. He vanished as he reached over the tower, and I finally reached the top to see Cato was gone.

I finally realized where he had led me. It was the station tower, the place of our last real meeting. I looked out over the city, the place we had grown together, the place that Cato loved more than I ever could, but I finally felt some relief. I would never be the same as I was before, no I wouldn't, but I would try to be better. I closed my eyes and breathed the fresh air that was only available high above the city. I cried for Cato one last time, and climbed off the station roof, finally ready to go forward.

_-Two Years later-_

I kept making the rounds like always, Reed wouldn't be happy if I took too long but I always liked to make him wait. He would have everything ready for our date tonight and longing always did make the heart grow fonder. After my deliveries I headed from the mail hall to return my bag when Bacchus, my manager gave me a letter. "What's this?" I asked. It was a red envelope sealed closed with a red sticker. "You don't remember?" He said in his usual gruff voice. "You gave it to me about three years ago, you said to give it to you today." He finished and trotted off back to his work.

I opened it and instantly remember what it was. It was just a reminder, signed by Cato and myself, that it had been three years since we had buried our last time capsule, and it was time to dig it up again. I held the letter for a few moments, trying to soak up everything the letter meant. I had moved forward like Cato wanted me to, I realized that when someone loses someone they love they have one of two options, either keep going on with their life or follow their loved ones in the next world, but Cato wanted me alive, he wanted me to live and fall in love again.

I rushed to Cato's old house where both his parents still lived. After it had come out that Cato and I were close friends his parents payed me a visit. It was awkward and tense but all of us knew Cato would have liked it. After his death I began to visit them frequently, his father warmed to me quickly but his mother always kept her distance, not that she was ever cold or mean, but we never really connected.

I knocked on their door and they welcomed me in, after explaining my letter they allowed me into their backyard to dig up our capsule. I remember the spot exactly, to the edge of the yard under the sapling. I dug up the box quickly and touched its smooth sides. It was an old tin box with chipped red paint. I unlatched the lid and immediately felt a wave of memories hit me. I pulled out a few notes we had passed in class, pictures we had taken around the city, tapes of music we had listened to when it was cool, and a wristband Cato had gotten for me as a birthday present. I sat under the tree with all of our items sprawled out around me. Looking at them and remembering what they had meant to both of us. Finally I saw something taped to the bottom of the box. It was a piece of red paper folded into a square. I unraveled it and saw only a few words scribbled onto it in black ink.

_"Before the end I couldn't tell you, but in the end I think I finally can. I love you Errol."_

_-Cato, your friend._

I stared at the note for a few seconds before folding it back up and pressing it to my chest. I could feel my tears going down my face but my smile was overshadowing any pain. I collected everything into the box and gave it to Cato's parents. They could take what they wanted and give me the rest, but I kept Cato's note with me. I ran home and slipped Cato's note into my window frame. It caught the sunlight and reminded me of my dream with Cato those years ago. I smiled as I kissed my finger and touched the note one last time before I slipped from my room.

_"Goodbye, Cato. I said it while you were here, I said it when you were gone, and even as I move forward without you I can say it again. I love you."_

_-Errol, your friend._

* * *

><p>Let me know what you think about a new story with Errol and Cato in the hunger games, I have a few ideas but I love it when people contribute.<p>

_-Galala  
><em>


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